Fire-escape.



A. F. JONES. FIRE ESOAPIL' APPLIOATION FILED 83M. 10, 1913.

1,094,21 3, Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

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A. F. JONES.

FIRE ESCAPE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

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TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW FULTON JONES, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ANDREW F. J ONES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Fire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to avoid marring buildings by the erection of permanent standing structures thereon to be used as fire escapes; to provide a movable fire escape-which may be operated fro-1n a station accessible to an operator standing on the ground; to provide means whereby the operative position of the fire escape is ascertainable without recourse to the fire escape directly; to provide a structure of the character indicated, which is arranged to prevent the parts thereof from becoming jammed or locked, and to provide a fire escape available for every window in the side of a house.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the facade of a house having applied thereto a fire escape constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention; Fig.2 is an edge view of a fire escape, the supporting track therefor being shown in section; Fig. 3 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, in vertical section, showing the upper end of the fire escape, the section being taken as on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, showing the construction and arrangement of the upper part of the ladder forming part of the fire-escape herein disclosed.

s seen in the accompanying drawings a track 10 constructed of suitable bar iron, and preferably disposed in a vertical plane, is supported at intervals by brackets 11 anchored to astanding structure, or wall of a house. At one end of the track, a relatively large pulley wheel 12 is mounted, a shaft 13 being provided therefor. At the opposite end of the track, a superposed bracket 14 and a pendent bracket 15 are formed to support guide pulleys 16 and 17 respectively.

Mounted on the track 10 is a truck 18. The truck 18 is box-like in shape, and has Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 10, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914:.

Serial No. 789,038.

a full outer wall and an inner wall having an elongated pendent flange 19' and a relatively short upright flange 20. The flanges 1.9 and 20 are spaced apart to provide a passageway for the brackets 11, to which the track 10 is bolted. Intermediate the outer and inner walls of the truck 18 are disposed two carrying wheels 21. The wheels '21 are rotatively mounted on bolt shafts 22 adjacent opposite ends of the truck.

The truck 18 is operat-ively connected with a cable 25. The ends of the cable 25 are anchoredto opposite ends of the truck 18. One extension of the cable 25 is carried under the pulley wheel 12 and over the lower pulley 17, to extend therefrom to a stay pulley 26. The opposite extension of the cable 25 is passed over the upper pulley 16, and the pulley 26. (See Fig. l of the drawings).

Mounted upon the truck above described is a ladder 8. The track 10 is preferably disposed adjacent the roof, or upper story of a house. The length of the ladder is such that the bottom thereof rests, when in service, near the ground. The upper ends of the ladder rails are bent forming bows 9, which are rendered rigid by means of braces 32, 38 and 8 1. The bows 9 operate in conjunction with the bow 27 to hold the ladder out from the wall of the building to permit persons passing up and down the ladder between the wall and ladder, the bow 27 has a central opening sufliciently large to permit this.

The ends of the bows 9 extend loosely through slots in the top of the truck and are guided by the side walls of the said truck. The ends are each provided with elongated slots 23, to receive the bolts 24:. The slots 23 permit a certain amount of freedom of movement of the ladder 9 to allow the same to swing lengthwise of the truck.

By means of the relative freedom of the ladder and truck, due to the elongated slots described, and the bolts extending therethrough, the movement of the truck is facilitated. It will be seen that a sudden jerk on the operating cable would be the client of rocking the ladder on the-ends of its bows 9, much in the same manner as would occur if the ladder was moved by force suddenly applied at the lower extremity thereof. But for the flexible nut connection between the truck and the ladder thus provided, inertia of the ladder would prevent or retard the sudden movement of the truck. In this manner, it will be seen, the fire escape is initially moved with greater expedition and less trouble to the operator.

To hold the ladder 8 away from the wall of the building, a truck, embodying a spring bow 27 and roller 28, is employed. The bow 27 may be constructed of any suitable material, and is rigidly connected with the hand rail of the ladder 8 by loops 29. The roller 28 may track upon a rail, but, in practice, I find that the pressure of the ladder against the side of the building, under normal conditions, does not require the employment of a special track for this purpose.

While I have herein shown the track 10 and supports therefor as mounted upon the face of the wall of the house, it will be understood that the track may be mounted on top 01": said wall, either concealed behind the cornice of the house or exposed at the upper edge of said wall. If mounted behind the cornice, it will be'noted that the bow 9 affords the necessary space for the passage thereof over said cornice.

The truck 18 is moved lengthwise over the track 10, the object being to dispose the ladder 8 opposite each tier of windows in the building. The amount of movement required to so dispose the ladder is related to the amount of cable moved.

By providing the cable with indices 30, said indices corresponding to operative positions of the ladder 8, the operator can, without referring to the ladder or being otherwise instructed, note that the ladder is in the desired position, by disposing the successive indices 30 opposite a station 31, indicated in the present drawings as an arrow head.

The utility of such a fire escape will be appreciated when it is remembered that oftentimes a fire exists in a lower story,

while a person trapped in an upper story has no means of descending except by way of the fixed path, which, in many instances, is blocked by the fire in a lower story. When employing a fire escape constructed in accordance with the present invention, this is provided for by moving the ladder after the person is on the same, to a distance laterally from the blocked area.

Claim- A fire escape, comprising a box-like truck having a plurality of carrying wheels adapted to roll on a track, said truck being provided with an upturned flange to guidingly iniold said track; a track adapted for permanent mounting upon a standing structure to support said truck and the carrying wheels thereof; a. plurality of guide pulleys mounted on said track; an operating cable for said truck, and a ladder having at the upper end thereof bowed arches operatively connected with said truck, said arches being provided adjacent the connected ends thereof with elongated slots, and securing bolts for uniting said truck and the ends of said I H arches to pass through said slots, to form pivots for balancing said ladder and arches. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ANDRElV FULTON JONES. lVitnesses W. A. STRAND, CHAS. H. CROCKER.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

